‘Long Takes’ Episode 2: Asian Representation in Hollywood

From Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange to Scarlet Johansson in Ghost in the Shell, 2016 has seen a handful of white actors cast in roles originally conceived as Asian. Whitewashing reached a new high these year, with multiple film and TV projects failing to represent Asian characters, and fans aren’t happy. Social media campaigns and online petitions have sprung up in response calling out Hollywood for continuing to erase Asian faces from screens.

In a new episode of ScreenCrush’s podcast Long Takes, editors Erin Whitney and Britt Hayes discuss recent controversies over whitewashing with guest Shirley Li of Entertainment Weekly. Should Marvel have cast an Asian actress as the Ancient One? Did Netflix miss an opportunity to improve the stereotypes of Iron Fist? Disney’s made progress with their live-action Mulan, but why did Sony hire a white guy to direct their version of the character’s story? Erin, Britt, and Shirley address those questions while also praising the progress made by Lucasfilm and shows like Master of None.

Check out the episode above on YouTube or on iTunes. Long Takes features Erin, Britt, and guest writers and critics discussing controversial topics around film and TV and diversity both on and off screen. Subscribe on iTunes for more episodes debuting every other Monday. Check out our previous episode on Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, a controversial thriller about a female video game developer who has a very unusual response to a sexual assault.